1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to part testing, and more specifically to measuring forces. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for measuring forces.
2. Background
Tests are often performed on to determine whether particular properties of the materials are at desired levels. The properties may include, for example, ductility, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, fatigue limit, fracture toughness, shear strength, tensile strength, and other suitable properties.
Some tests identifying properties that relate to the durability of the materials used in an object. For example, with aircraft, these objects may take the form of parts for the aircraft. The various parts of an aircraft may be subjected to extreme heat, cold, water, and wind during testing. The tester then confirms that the parts have the desired properties when subjected to the different environmental conditions.
For example, a component, such as a fairing for an aircraft, may be tested for resistance to denting. This test may include subjecting the fairing to a particular force at a particular location on the fairing. The tester may determine whether the fairing meets a specification for the fender by determining whether an inconsistency is present in the fender as a result of the force being applied to the fender.
These tests may be tedious. Often times, different forces may be applied to the fairing in the same location on the fairing. These forces may also be applied to different locations. The setup of the equipment needs to be consistent to obtain accurate results.
Testing parts consistently is important to ensuring the accuracy of the test. In other words, ensuring that each component tested is subjected to the same conditions provides a proper environment from which to draw conclusions about the part being tested.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus, which takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above as well as possibly other issues.